I’m writing this on New Years Day. Charlie’s putting together a bird house he got for Christmas. He really wanted to get to it and it makes him happy, so why not?
I told him, “No problem. I’ll walk Scamp this morning, and maybe we can all go out for an amble later on.”
I enjoy a morning walk with the little guy. Not in the middle of a blizzard, of course. But the fact is, he gets me out lots of times when I wouldn’t bother. And amazing gifts come my way on these walks: a rosy sky at dawn with the dark silhouette of a tree’s bare branches, the smell of the outdoors made more intense by a light rain, just me alone with my own thoughts.
But this morning, oh, this morning was special. Scamp and me had been walking for about 
five minutes when what do I see flying down the street toward me? A bald eagle! I watched it for as long as I could as it flew over my head and turning, as it soared off into the distance. Wow! It was just me, Scamp and that eagle, and folks, I wave of awe and gratitude washed over me. Tearing up, I said out loud, “Thank you.”
Then Scamp, completely unmoved by the experience, takes a dump, I bag it, and we continue on our way. Just like real life, right?
Later on our walk, I see one of my neighbors, Floyd Wood, out on his stoop smoking a butt. “Morning, Floyd.” Then I remember and add, “Happy New Year!” And I continue walking.
Then I had a revelation. How many times am I gonna say “Happy New Year” in the next few weeks? It’s just something you do without thinking, right? What if I put some mojo behind it? What if, when I say “Happy New Year” I do it with “intention” as my niece Caitlin says. What if I really wish that person happiness in the new year, and at the same time, for myself, too. Kind of an affirmation (Caitlin, again). “I am going to have a happy new year.” Or even better, “I am having a happy new year.” Just thinking that made me feel good.
When I got home, I told Charlie about seeing the bald eagle and he said, “Lucky you!”
“Yes, lucky me!” Another affirmation worth considering. I’m on a roll, folks! Wow, affirmations and intentions are so much more fun than resolutions. Give it a go!
So my wish for you and me in 2020? That we’ll be open to trying new things. That we’ll be here now so we don’t miss those moments of awe. That we’ll take time to appreciate, be grateful, and say thank you. I know from experience that these things will get us through the good times and the rough patches. I just need to be reminded every now and then. Happy New Year, my friends!
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Happy New Year
2020
February 29: Makin’ Whoopie!, Franklin Opera House, 7:30pm, Franklin, NH
May 13: Book Reading, Windham Public Library, 6:00pm, Windham, ME
May 14, Book Reading, Wiggin Memorial Library, 6:00pm, Stratham, NH